Optimalisasi Pengendalian Hayati Penggerek Buah Kakao Conopomorpha cramerella (Snellen) Menggunakan Cendawan Trichoderma harzianum dan Beauveria bassiana: Optimization of Biological Control of Cocoa Pod Borer (Conopomorpha cramerella Snellen) Using Trichoderma harzianum and Beauveria bassiana - Muh. Reski Eskha M; Akmal Akmal; Dewi Marwati Nuryanti (Perbal: Jurnal Pertanian Berkelanjutan, 2026)
Penggerek buah kakao (Conopomorpha cramerella Snellen) merupakan salah satu hama utama pada tanaman kakao yang menyebabkan penurunan kuantitas dan kualitas hasil. Pengendalian menggunakan pestisida sintetis yang dilakukan secara terus-menerus berpotensi menimbulkan resistensi hama dan pencemaran lingkungan, sehingga diperlukan alternatif pengendalian yang ramah lingkungan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengoptimalkan penggunaan cendawan Trichoderma sp. dan Beauveria bassiana dalam pengendalian hayati penggerek buah kakao. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Kelurahan Mawa, Kecamatan Sendana, Kota Palopo, pada Maret–April 2026 menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) yang terdiri atas lima perlakuan dan tiga ulangan. Aplikasi cendawan dilakukan melalui penyemprotan pada buah kakao dengan konsentrasi 10 g/L dan 20 g/L pada interval tujuh hari. Parameter yang diamati meliputi intensitas serangan, mortalitas hama, dan persentase kerusakan buah kakao. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa aplikasi Trichoderma sp. dan Beauveria bassiana mampu menekan intensitas serangan penggerek buah kakao dibandingkan kontrol. Intensitas serangan tertinggi ditemukan pada kontrol sebesar 63,48%, sedangkan perlakuan terbaik (Beauveria bassiana 20 g/L) menghasilkan intensitas serangan terendah sebesar 29,38% atau menurun 53,72% dibandingkan kontrol. Selain itu, perlakuan yang mengandung B. bassiana menunjukkan mortalitas hama yang lebih tinggi dan mampu menurunkan persentase kerusakan buah kakao. Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kombinasi Trichoderma sp. dan Beauveria bassiana berpotensi menjadi teknologi pengendalian hayati yang efektif, ramah lingkungan, dan berkelanjutan untuk menekan serangan C. cramerella pada tanaman kakao. The cocoa pod borer (Conopomorpha cramerella Snellen) is one of the major pests of cocoa, causing significant reductions in both yield quantity and quality. Continuous use of synthetic pesticides may lead to pest resistance and environmental pollution; therefore, environmentally friendly control alternatives are needed. This study aimed to optimize the use of Trichoderma sp. and Beauveria bassiana as biological control agents against the cocoa pod borer. The research was conducted in Mawa Village, Sendana District, Palopo City, from March to May 2026 using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) consisting of five treatments and three replications. Fungal applications were carried out by spraying cocoa pods with concentrations of 10 g/L and 20 g/L at seven-day intervals. The observed parameters included pest infestation intensity, pest mortality, and the percentage of cocoa pod damage. The results showed that the application of Trichoderma sp. and B. bassiana significantly reduced cocoa pod borer infestation compared with the control. The highest infestation intensity was recorded in the control treatment (63.48%), while the best treatment (B. bassiana at 20 g/L) resulted in the lowest infestation intensity (29.38%), representing a 53.72% reduction compared with the control. In addition, treatments containing B. bassiana resulted in higher pest mortality and reduced the percentage of cocoa pod damage. The study demonstrated that the combined use of Trichoderma sp. and B. bassiana has considerable potential as an effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable biological control strategy for suppressing C. cramerella infestations in cocoa plantations.